Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Unconventional Settlement Idea Eyed By Drugmakers Named In Massive Ohio Opioids Lawsuit
The Wall Street Journal: Novel Plan Aims To Settle Opioid Suits
Endo International PLC, Johnson & Johnson and other drugmakers that face sprawling litigation over the opioid crisis are exploring an unusual way to settle the cases: by participating in Purdue Pharma LP’s bankruptcy, according to internal documents and a person familiar with the matter. The move, if successful, could bring an end to—or at least dramatically shrink—one of the largest and most complex pieces of litigation the U.S. has ever seen. (Randazzo and Fitzgerald, 9/30)
Columbus Dispatch: State Of Ohio Called Hypocritical For Allegations In Opioid Lawsuits
Ohio is suing major drug makers and distributors for their role in an opioid crisis that has stolen thousands of lives in recent years.The lawsuits boil down to a contention that those companies should have known about the problem and done more to stop it. But at least one distributor is turning the tables on the state, saying that public officials knew about the opioid crisis and should have done more to stop it. (Rowland, 9/30)
USA Today: 10 People Died Of Overdoses In 26 Hours In This Ohio County
At least 10 people died from drug overdoses in just 26 hours in Ohio's most populous county, according to the county coroner. Franklin County Coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz, who issues periodic alerts on overdose deaths, called this an "unusually high number" of deaths in a statement on Facebook Sunday. Ortiz urged those who use drugs to test substances for fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid often sold as a street drug. (Yancey-Bragg, 9/30)
In other news on the national opioid epidemic —
The Wall Street Journal: Opioid Maker Mallinckrodt Changes Management Severance To Lump-Sum Payments
Mallinckrodt PLC recently changed its severance-package policy to allow for departing executives of the drug company to receive lump-sum payouts instead of installment payments, and ensuring the policy endures should it change ownership structure, such as liquidating or reorganizing, filings show. The drugmaker, whose stock is down some 90% this year, previously hired restructuring experts as it faces several challenges, including trying to resolve thousands of lawsuits over its alleged role in helping start the nation’s opioid crisis. (Hopkins, 9/30)
Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Support Medical Billing Changes, Opioid Payments
Hospitals support the CMS' proposed changes to medical billing coding and new payments for opioid treatment programs, but they're worried that changes to quality measures could hurt providers. Major medical groups and hospitals back the CMS' decision to abandon a provision of the finalized 2019 Medicare physician-fee schedule rule that would have consolidated the number of evaluation and management payment levels into one payment rate beginning in 2021. (Brady, 9/30)
Health News Florida: UCF Researcher’s Human-On-A-Chip Technology Could Make Human And Animal Testing Obsolete
A University of Central Florida researcher has designed technology that allows him to study opioid overdose and the antidotes used to reverse it without human or animal testing. Nanoscience Technology Center James Hickman says microscopic liver and heart cells are attached to glass chips and then flooded with opioids to simulate the overdose and determine how different organs are affected. (Prieur, 9/30)
Miami Herald: Florida Nurse Disciplined After 8,156 Missing Oxy Tablets
A Broward County registered nurse has had her license restricted by the Florida Department of Health after, the department says, she ordered 8,160 oxycodone tablets and almost 10 liters of prescription cough syrup with codeine earlier this year. Problem was, Nadia Etienne’s four patients received only one oxy tablet and no cough syrup. (Neal, 9/30)
